Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
September 28, 2017

General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Toni Moore is charging that if Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler had spent less time attacking her and more time concentrating on his primary task of fixing the ailing economy, Barbados may have been spared the latest Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgrade.

In an address to party faithful at the Democratic Labour Party’s City branch meeting last weekend, Sinckler criticized Moore, who last month said while Government had given Cost-U-Less concessions so it could operate here, the American company had felt empowered enough to engage in union busting practices.

In fact, the minister sought to turn the tables on Moore, contending that she might have felt “empowered” to attack Government because the BWU had been granted duty-free concessions on a top model car.

“If it is true that the general secretary actually said that I really am very disappointed that a general secretary of the major union in Barbados can deliver herself of such a statement. The Government of Barbados gave the general secretary and the Barbados Workers’ Union tax concessions on a Mercedes Benz. Am I to assume that the reason why she is behaving the way she is behaving is because she feels empowered, if you take it to a logical conclusion?” Sinckler told party supporters.

However, speaking to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of ongoing strike by workers at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, The Pine, St Michael, Moore said Sinckler’s analogy made absolutely no sense.

“I would wish that the Minister of Finance spends less time drawing. . .a connection between our $100,000 vehicle and the near millions [of dollars] that Cost-U-Less has been able to save as a result of the concessions given to them. He also needs to spend more time updating the country on the recent downgrade and the country’s economic situation,” Moore said in reference to yesterday’s downgrade, the 20th by ratings agencies since 2009.

S&P, which said there was now a higher risk associated with maintaining the country’s $2 to US$1 exchange rate, warned in a three page statement of the possibility of another downgrade within the next 12 months after lowering the long-term local currency sovereign credit rating on the country to ‘CCC’ from ‘CCC+’, while affirming its long-term foreign currency sovereign rating at ‘CCC+’.

In her usual measured approach, the BWU general secretary accused Government of being eerily silent in recent months on the country’s economic outlook and how it intends to bring relief to the average citizen.

“Since our last Social Partnership [meeting] the Minister of Finance and the Government have been silent on the issue and how it impacts the average man and I think Barbadians generally are less concerned with the duty-free concession that the union gets for a single vehicle and more concerned with the realities that impact them on a day to day basis.”

After Prime Minister Freundel Stuart took possession of a $700,000 S-Class Mercedes Benz – approximately $350,000 duty-free – soon after Government approved an austerity Budget, Stuart responded to public criticism by stating the vehicle belonged to the Prime Minister of Barbados, not Stuart himself.

Moore adopted a similar approach, insisting the C-Class vehicle that she drives is the property of the BWU, while stressing that the union had been granted similar concessions over the past three decades.

“The minister should tell the public of Barbados whether concession that has been granted to the Barbados Workers’ Union, not the general secretary, is any different from the concession granted over the last 30 years. The only unique thing in my situation is that it took the Ministry of Finance 15 months to approve a concession for a vehicle when I became general secretary. I don’t know if that was something personal or an instruction from the Minister of Finance,” she said.

Share it!

Post navigation

0 thoughts on “Moore hits back at Sinckler over duty-free car comment”

Greengiant

The issue of the M O F and General secretary attacking each other is really not worth the time it took to write the articles. They both need to stay focused on their individual tasks. It shows the silly season is not about a particular period, but all about some very silly people.

The issue of the M O F and General secretary attacking each other is really not worth the time it took to write the articles. They both need to stay focused on their individual tasks. It shows the silly season is not about a particular period, but all about some very silly people.

All gutter rats fuh real. No wonder they don’t care if we end up down there with them. They sure will need company. Chris,Derek,Lowe,Stuart,Kellman ,Jones,Boyce,Blackett Estwick not a word after The boy from Urban who drawing a salary for doing nothing his own words said they all going to be like gutter rats. Not one in disassociate duh gutter self.

All gutter rats fuh real. No wonder they don’t care if we end up down there with them. They sure will need company. Chris,Derek,Lowe,Stuart,Kellman ,Jones,Boyce,Blackett Estwick not a word after The boy from Urban who drawing a salary for doing nothing his own words said they all going to be like gutter rats. Not one in disassociate duh gutter self.

Same “cut-throat” style comments will be here no matter who is in office after elections. DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE CLOSE “FRIENDS” ? …….I will stay tuned while you all eat one another raw without salt.

Same “cut-throat” style comments will be here no matter who is in office after elections. DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE CLOSE “FRIENDS” ? …….I will stay tuned while you all eat one another raw without salt.

Did here big ride on the backs of poor union members actually come into Barbados duty free? Did she deny it? No! I want to know what is the salary of a BWU General Secretary, does anyone know. No! Not even the paying members. And how much does Trotman get paid in his created position watching over his girle friend? Nobody says. And does he have a big union ride too? Talk bout corruption! Strupse.

Did here big ride on the backs of poor union members actually come into Barbados duty free? Did she deny it? No! I want to know what is the salary of a BWU General Secretary, does anyone know. No! Not even the paying members. And how much does Trotman get paid in his created position watching over his girle friend? Nobody says. And does he have a big union ride too? Talk bout corruption! Strupse.

It’s high time the Unions stop getting duty free top of the line cars
Everybody want freeness
The poor people now got to pay for drugs at the Polyclinics and the Unions getting DUTY FREE CARS
This fiasco needs to be revisited.

It’s high time the Unions stop getting duty free top of the line cars
Everybody want freeness
The poor people now got to pay for drugs at the Polyclinics and the Unions getting DUTY FREE CARS
This fiasco needs to be revisited.

What is this fascination with Bajans and high-priced cars? Why is it necessary for these people in gov’t and others to be driving Mercedes Benz and BMWs. When you look at a car it aint nothing but a vehicle to get yuh from point A to point B. Why spend so much money on a vehicle to drive thru so much pot holes and bumpy roads? Just fuh style? Chuuuupse!!

What is this fascination with Bajans and high-priced cars? Why is it necessary for these people in gov’t and others to be driving Mercedes Benz and BMWs. When you look at a car it aint nothing but a vehicle to get yuh from point A to point B. Why spend so much money on a vehicle to drive thru so much pot holes and bumpy roads? Just fuh style? Chuuuupse!!

Well I am not attacking anyone. I just want to say to Ms. Moore that the task of turning around this country’s economic fortunes is not the task of Mr. Sinckler alone but the entire civil society.

Former Central Bank Governor recently reported that right across the private and public sectors productivity was down. This should be the concern of all our trade unions. This comes at a time when our workers are among the highest paid in the region. We have to put our hands together change our current state. Every body has their work cut so let stop the bickering and get to work.

Well I am not attacking anyone. I just want to say to Ms. Moore that the task of turning around this country’s economic fortunes is not the task of Mr. Sinckler alone but the entire civil society.
Former Central Bank Governor recently reported that right across the private and public sectors productivity was down. This should be the concern of all our trade unions. This comes at a time when our workers are among the highest paid in the region. We have to put our hands together change our current state. Every body has their work cut so let stop the bickering and get to work.

Productivity is low because public workers have not had a pay increase for almost 10 years . Productivity is low because of rhe draconian tax measures . Productivity is low because the cost of living continues to rise . The PM needs to call the General Election NOW !!!

Productivity is low because public workers have not had a pay increase for almost 10 years . Productivity is low because of rhe draconian tax measures . Productivity is low because the cost of living continues to rise . The PM needs to call the General Election NOW !!!